Vizag police deploy laser guns to curb reckless driving

With road accidents continuing to pose a serious concern amid rising vehicle numbers, the city police have stepped up efforts to tighten traffic enforcement by deploying advanced technology to curb speeding and reckless driving.

In a key initiative, two state-of-the-art speed laser guns have been inducted into service under the Commissionerate limits. The equipment, worth about ₹18 lakh, was procured through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).

The proposal was initiated by Police Commissioner Shankabratha Bagchi and facilitated by GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg. The devices were formally unveiled at the Police Conference Hall on Friday.

Highlighting the need for stricter enforcement, Mr. Garg said the steady surge in vehicular traffic over the past few years has led to congestion at key junctions, while rash driving continues to result in accidents, including fatalities, despite ongoing enforcement drives.

The newly inducted laser guns can detect violations from a distance of up to 100 metres and will be used to check over-speeding and other offences such as riding without helmets, triple riding, and driving on the wrong side. The system records vehicle details, enabling the prompt issuance of challans.

Mr. Bagchi said an additional speed laser gun, sanctioned under CSR support from South Asian LPG, is expected soon. All three devices will be integrated with the National Informatics Centre system, enabling real-time, contactless challans through Artificial Intelligence-based monitoring.

In a parallel push to strengthen surveillance, the city police recently installed 120 CCTV cameras on March 26. Earlier initiatives, including air-conditioned helmets and cooling radium jackets for traffic personnel, have also been introduced to improve working conditions on the ground.